Other Proposed Uses

Molybdenum is an essential trace mineral. Deficiency of molybdenum is rare, but may occur in certain parts of the world. Current marketing of molybdenum products for the treatment of medical conditions is not founded on any meaningful scientific evidence.

Requirements/Sources

Molybdenum is found in a variety of foods, including dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Mineral water or “hard” tap water may also supply significant amounts of molybdenum.

Deficiency of molybdenum is believed to be rare. Although accurate “recommended daily intake” levels for molybdenum have not been determined, less precise “safe and adequate intake” levels have been set in the U.S. as follows:

Birth to 3 years of age: 15 to 50 micrograms (mcg)

4 to 6 years of age: 30 to 75 mcg

7 to 10 years of age: 50 to 150 mcg

11 or older: 75 to 250 mcg

Therapeutic Doses

There are no known uses of molybdenum that would suggest doses other than the “safe and adequate” levels noted in the previous section.

Molybdenum is marketed both as a tablet and as a liquid supplement containing the mineral in dissolved form. Despite widespread claims, there is no evidence that one form of molybdenum is absorbed to a markedly superior extent than any other.

Therapeutic Uses

Websites that advocate molybdenum products make numerous health claims that lack scientific foundation. Some of these unsupported claims include the following:

In certain areas of China, molybdenum deficiency may occur relatively commonly. There are higher rates of some forms of cancer in these regions; however, when molybdenum supplementation was tried, it failed to make a difference, perhaps because other unidentified deficiencies were involved as well.
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Safety Issues

When taken at recommended dosages, molybdenum should be safe. Excessive intake of molybdenum could in theory lead to copper deficiency.
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People with serious kidney disease should also avoid taking molybdenum (or any other supplement) except on the advice of a physician. People with serious kidney disease should also avoid taking molybdenum (or any other supplement) except on the advice of a physician. One isolated report hints that excessive molybdenum intake can cause symptoms of psychosis.
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